Do You Really Love Me?
by ThatAnimeAngel
Summary: Sakura starts to have doubts about her relationship with Shikamaru. But a death of a loved one may bring them closer. OneShot! ShikaSaku


A ShikamaruxSakura Story.

Disclaimer: I don't own the following characters etc, etc, ETC! (he-he sorry!)

A/N:

Wow! A lot of people really like my OneShots! I must be getting better at them! Shout outs to my reviewers!

**Kankuro's Little Crush:**

Bonds of Hatred.

**Shino's Blue Butterfly:**

TopazDragon, kiwi4me, Narutogirl3 and Baby Cougar.

**I Promise:**

VeryBoredSoul.

CYBER COOKIES TO ALL YOU LOVELIES!

UR REVIEWS KEEP ME GOING! ^-^ ^-^

ON WITH THE STORY!!

WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH! DO NOT READ IF YOU DISLIKE CHARACTER DEATH! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

(Cool I sound like a ghost XD)

--

Women, Shikamaru decided, were always going to be troublesome. He shook his head ruefully as he dashed from tree to tree, followed by Sakura, Tenten and Naruto. They were always complaining about everything and fantasizing over one guy for days, weeks, on end. Usually these guys were either a) totally oblivious (example: Naruto) or b) didn't give a rats arse (example: Sasuke). Shikamaru could not understand why they bothered. They usually ended up with broken hearts and in a crying mess for days. He knew all to well from experience, especially with Ino. Man that woman had so many crushes!

Some girls were more troublesome than others. For example Hinata was a non-troublesome woman. She was shy and had not given him any trouble. Tenten was a semi-troublesome woman as was Temari. Shikamaru had not had much to do with the Weapons Mistress but what he had seen was enough to annoy him. Temari was definitely troublesome but he hardly ever saw her so that was good. Ino and Sakura were the most troublesome women he had ever met. Both Sasuke obsessed and annoying. To make matters worse it seemed that the blonde had not given up on the missing Uchiha. Shikamaru knew that a small part of Sakura still hoped for his return but the pink haired kunoichi knew full well the chances were low.

'HEY!!!SHIKAMARU! WHEN ARE WE GONNA STOP AND EAT!?' a certain knuckle head ninja called.

'When we get nearer to Konoha! So stop asking!' Shikamaru called back.

Shikamaru wanted to get as far away from the Rain Village as he could. He did not want any more trouble.

Sakura giggled at their antics. Naruto truly annoyed the shadow user and it was funny to see Shikamaru's frustration. The mission had been easy, no question about it. But those ninja that they had to take out were a bit of nuisance. God she sounded like Shikamaru. Maybe all the time she was spending with the Chunnin was rubbing off on her. She and Shikamaru had been meeting up in secret for the last few weeks now, despite Shikamaru's complaints that it was troublesome. It was only in the past few meetings that their true feelings for each other had started to blossom. But sometimes Sakura wondered how long they could keep it up before their relationship would shatter. Shikamaru said every time that he loved her. She loved him too and told him so. But Sakura still had a niggling suspicion in the back of her mind that Shikamaru still might have feelings for his old flame, a girl by the name Kikoyo. She was beautiful, no doubt about it. In fact she had left Konoha to become a model. But Shikamaru had caught her cheating on him so that was the end of that.

'SHIKAMARU!!' Naruto whined.

'Troublesome idiot,' said ninja muttered before shouting back 'FINE! We'll stop here!'

The four shinobi landed lightly on the floor and Naruto sank to the floor and begun digging through his bag looking for food. Tenten frowned and shook her head. She sat down underneath a tree and stared up at the cloudy sky. Sakura sighed at her team mate and looked around for Shikamaru. He was not on the forrest floor like the rest of them. Sakura looked up and found her boyfriend, sitting on the branch of an old oak watching the clouds again. She smiled and leapt up into the tree. She sat down beside him. She looked down. They were so far up that they could not be seen, good.

'Shikamaru?' she asked 'You okay?'

'Hn' he said.

'Well fine then! I'm only trying to help!' Sakura snapped.

She folded her arms and looked away. She felt Shikamaru's hand on her shoulder.

'I'm sorry' he murmured. 'It's just that idiot gets on my nerve a lot, can you forgive me?'

Sakura answered his question by pressing her lips against his. Shikamaru smiled to himself. Her lips were warm and Shikamaru could taste the chakra on her lips. Sakura pulled back gasping for breath. She smiled.

'You never fail to shock me with that, you troublesome girl' Shikamaru teased.

'It's one of my many talents' Sakura told him.

Shikamaru stared into her large green eyes. A different emotion was hidden behind them, something that Shikamaru couldn't quite pinpoint. He frowned.

'What's the matter?' he asked, worried.

'Huh? Nothing!' she said quickly, too quickly for Shikamaru's liking.

'Sakura, I'm not an idiot. I have been seeing you for six weeks. . .'

'Seven' she corrected.

'. . . seven weeks and I think I know when my girlfriend is upset' Shikamaru finished.

Sakura fell silent. He had her there. She stared down at the branch, struggling with herself. Shikamaru's frown deepened. He raised a hand and traced her cheek bone with a finger. He cupped his hand under her chin and lifted it, so she was looking at him.

'You can tell me you know' he whispered and kissed her softly.

'Do you really love me?' she asked once they had parted.

Shikamaru was stunned. Why would that bother her? She knew how he felt.

_Well obviously she doesn't!,_ his conscience said.

**But I told her that I love her!, **he raged back.

_Why is she asking then?_

**How am I supposed to know?**

_You're her girlfriend!_

**Whatever, goodbye**

_Hey what are you doing? No . . .no don't! ARGH *dies*_

'Why do you ask?' Shikamaru asked carefully.

'I dunno, it's just my gut feeling'

'Jeez, Sakura! I love you! With all my heart and soul!' Shikamaru said, his voice rising.

' . . .'

'Oh god please don't tell me it's about Kikoyo again!' he snapped.

'Well she is back in Konoha. . .' Sakura trailed off at Shikamaru's livid face.

'For the love of Kami! Kikoyo is a slut and I hate her! It's you who is the one for me Sakura! I know Kikoyo is a bit over bearing and I know all about the crap she gives you. Ino told me! I love you! That won't ever change!' Shikamaru ranted.

Sakura stared and Shikamaru stared back. Sakura was shocked.

_Did he just?_, Inner Sakura asked.

**Yeah . . .**

Shikamaru groaned and put his head in his hands. He mentally kicked himself. He'd done it now. But the part about Ino telling him how Kikoyo was giving Sakura crap was fully true.

--

_Shikamaru and Ino stood side by side waiting for Chouji and Asuma-sensei. Shikamaru yawned widely, due to having stayed out late watching the stars with Sakura. Ino's arms were folded. She gave her best friend a side glance._

'_Hey Shikamaru, have you seen Sakura lately?' she asked._

'_Yeah why?' he asked._

'_Well she didn't turn up for training yesterday, that's what Sasuke said. He's really worried about her, only because Naruto hasn't been told yet. But I did hear something and I wondered if you could confirm it' she told him._

'_Confirm what?'_

'_Well . . . Kikoyo is back in town'_

'_I'm not an idiot Ino, I know she is'_

'_Yeah apparently she's been giving Sakura a lot of shit. Calling her a slut and stuff. Wait 'till I see her next . . . ooh she'll be so dead!'_

_Shikamaru was silent. Kikoyo was giving Sakura crap?_

--

Sakura felt a pair of small hands placed on either side of his face. He felt Sakura lift his head so he was looking at her. She kissed him, deeper than she ever had. Shikamaru pushed back into the kiss, and placed his hands on Sakura's waist. Sakura ran a hand through Shikamaru's hair.

Finally they both parted for air.

'Thank you' Sakura whispered, pressing her nose against his.

'No problem, any time' Shikamaru gasped.

A scream echoed from below them. Sakura jumped and Shikamaru swore under his breath. Sakura and Shikamaru began leap down from branch to branch. Sakura gasped when she saw the scene before her eyes.

Naruto was pinned against a tree by one Rain Nin. But it was the sight of Tenten that made Sakura stop. Tenten had three different swords poking out of her chest. As Sakura watched, her friend swayed and hit the ground, blood pooling around her. Sakura lost all sense of what was happening, her anger consumed her and she lunged ignoring Shikamaru's shout. She charged at the Rain Nin who had killed her friend. She began swinging punches, hard and fast.

'Die you sick bastard!' she screamed, and as she did socked the ninja in the chest with a chakra punch. The ninja sailed through the air and hit the floor, never to move again. Sakura was seething, she barely noticed as Naruto and Shikamaru finished off the other ninja. Remembering Tenten, she dashed over to her friend and summoned her chakra to begin healing her fallen friend.

Tenten's breathing was ragged and uneven. Shikamaru and Naruto were now beside Sakura watching, waiting.

'I can only do that much for her now' Sakura said finally.

--

Sakura, Shikamaru and Naruto waited outside the surgery waiting for the results of Tenten's surgery. Neji, Lee and Gai had also joined them. Neji was pacing up and down the hall. Naruto was sitting on a bench next to Lee and Gai. Gai was sweating and wringing his hands. Sakura leaned against Shikamaru, afraid she might fall if she didn't.

The door of the surgery opened and the doctors trooped out, looking downcast. Shizune was the last to leave. She came up to them and shook her head.

'I am so, so sorry. We couldn't save her' she whispered. 

Lee and Gai froze in their seats and tears slipped down their cheeks. Naruto shook his head and looked at the floor. Sakura burst into tears and buried her face in Shikamaru's chest. Shikamaru held Sakura and kissed the top of her head. Neji slammed a fist against the wall and struggled to control his anger.

--

Shikamaru carried a sleeping Sakura through his door and laid her on the couch. Tenten's funeral had reduced his girlfriend to a sobbing mess. It was then that everyone had found out about Shikamaru and Sakura's relationship. They had also found out about Tenten and Neji's, Hinata and Naruto's and Ino and Kiba's.

Shikamaru ran his finger through Sakura's soft, pink hair. He kissed her forehead and smiled softly.

He stared up at the roof and shook himself.

_Tenten, _he thought, _You don't know how much you will be missed. By Neji, Lee, Gai and Sakura. Me as well I guess. _

Sakura stirred in her sleep and Shikamaru placed a hand on her cheek, soothing her. Slowly he pulled off his Chunnin vest and climbed onto the couch next to her. He drew Sakura to him.

'Don't die please' he whispered, and kissed her forehead again.

Then Shikamaru closed his eyes and listened to the steady breathing of Sakura and the beat of her heart. He did love her, with all his heart and soul.

--

A/N:

That was not one of my good ones. It's a bit rushed I guess. My favourite is Shino's Blue Butterfly (ShinoIno) or I Promise (GenmaxShizune). R & R! Please! ^-^

I can do OneShot requests! I'm running out of ideas! So please do request, request! But I will not do Yaoi or Yuri, sorry!


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